Boks' stamp of approval

AND we thought it was just an exhibition match. The chorus of boos that rang round the Millennium Stadium as the watch ticked into injury time told you all you needed to know about the Springboks' hard-nosed attitude to winning. No matter the game, no matter the festive inclination, the South Africans treasure victory more than anything. They got their win but little approval from the 70,000 crowd.

South Africa were leading by seven points when referee Robert Davies signalled a penalty in their favour. They could have tapped, they could have gone for touch but, no, they went for goal. Braam van Straaten slotted the decisive score.

It was one of the few jarring moments in what was a curious afternoon: at times marvellously uplifting and engaging, at other times disjointed. There was a minor controversy, too, when Lawrence Dallaglio, the Baa-Baas captain, was stamped on in the closing moments.

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The first-half was a thoroughly rousing affair, full of devil and dash. Ironically, the Boks played a full part, their first serious kick of the ball not coming until 60 minutes had been played.

There were some fabulous tries among the 10 scored, Christian Cullen's simple run-in and touchdown from Chris Latham's cross-kick a minute from the interval the pick of them. You know it's good when Barry John leaps out of his seat alongside you to urge Latham on as he broke audaciously from defence. When the gods applaud, you truly are in celestial company.

At that point the Barbarians were leading 31-12. Chester Williams, the Springbok wing, then clawed back five points with his second try in first-half stoppage time.

And that was it as far as the Baa-Baas were concerned. They not only failed to get on the scoreboard in the second-half, they barely registered a stud mark in Springbok territory. That they put in 105 tackles to the Springboks' 54 is a sure sign of how the game went away from them.

In part, this was due to the Boks stirring themselves and using their greater collective understanding to pick up and drive through the middle. In large measure, though, it was due to the inevitable deluge of substitutions that flooded the field. (It was the only downpour of the day with the roof closed). The Baa-Baas, so sharp and precise in the first half, lost shape and drive. The scratch side wiped themselves out.

South Africa scored 21 points in 10 minutes just before the hour mark, Breyton Paulse scoring two tries and Ollie le Roux one. The crowd did their best to raise the roof, so to speak, when local hero Neil Jenkins came on in the 57th minute. If Welsh coach Graham Henry had different thoughts as to who should wear the No 10 shirt for the Six Nations then he had better not opt for a referendum.

There were some great individual performances. Brian O'Driscoll showed that he can more than hold his own in illustrious company. The 21-year-old Irish centre played with great poise and intelligence. He was rock-solid in defence, too, one thumping, claw-back tackle on Percy Montgomery proving that the Wallabies will have to go some to get past him when the Lions go visiting next summer.

Even the cold-eyed South Africans got carried along with it all. "Look, that last kick was just because the boys had come from so far back and needed a rest," said Harry Viljoen, their coach. "We won because of the commitment in the dressing-room. We'd watched a video of the Baa-Baas history and really wanted the win. Anyone who criticises this fixture hasn't done their homework."

The surface itself was deceptive. It looked like Hackney Marshes, with huge bare patches, but played pretty true. It was right, in this unique situation, to close the roof. "Common sense prevailed on that one," Dallaglio said. "It was disappointing to let victory go. The Boks' organisation won the day."

It did not look as if it would even though they were first out of the traps, Williams latching on to a Barbarians defensive mishap to score in the second minute. O'Driscoll gathered superbly to score in the 11th minute. Agustin Pichot scampered over four minutes later after a deft inside flick pass from Ron Cribb. Paulse got one back for South Africa, only for Latham to immediately restore the advantage.

Then came the try of the afternoon. Five minutes of Springbok pressure was relieved when the Barbarians somehow filched the ball. Naka Drotske flipped an overhead pass to Latham and away he went from just outside his own 22. As the defence closed, he spotted Cullen steaming up the middle. A high, left-footed cross-kick was inch perfect.